Like Ships in the Night
by Lena and Liz
Summary: The stress of a newborn takes its toll on Happy and Maria's relationship. Companion piece to "High Heels and Dirty Deals". Characters: Happy, Maria, Juice
1. We Can Feel So Far From So Close

**Disclaimer: **We don't own Sons of Anarchy or anything related to it. Any characters you don't recognize are our own creations, and any resemblance to people living or dead is purely coincidental. We do not own any music used in this story. All music is credited as it is used. We make no profit from this.

**Author's Note**: Told you guys you wouldn't have to wait long. We're really glad you enjoyed the last one. A lovely reviewer _MsGemGem _wanted to see some of the effects a new baby would have on Happy. Well, here ya go! This is much, much darker than the last one. But don't worry, there's a fluff piece up next to balance it all out. This is a two part story. It was written as one, but it's a lot to take in as one chapter, so now it's two. Oh, and we posted a timeline on our profile, so you can see where all of the one shots fit in relation to HHDD and other one shots. Enough talking, enjoy this chapter! Next one will be up in a few days.

_This is a companion piece to **High Heels and Dirty Deals**. You should probably read that first so you know what's going on._

**Background**: Happy has to go to Charming for a few weeks to help out with something, so he brings Maria and 3 month old Dominic with him. This mentions chapter 12 of HHDD, so you might want to read over that if you don't remember the 'Happy vs. Street Punk' beat down. It's not vital, but there is a reference.

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><p><strong>Like Ships in the Night<br>Chapter 1: We Can Feel So Far From So Close  
><strong>"_Like ships in the night, letting cannon balls fly.  
><em>_Say what you mean and it turns to a fight.  
><em>_Fist fly from my mouth as it turns south.  
><em>_You're down the driveway, I'm on the couch."  
><em>- "Ships in the Night" by Mat Kearney

**_March 4th, 2003_**  
><strong><em>Charming, California<em>**

Happy gave a tired sigh as he stood in front of the tiny sink of the hall bathroom at the Redwood Original clubhouse. Splashing water on his face, he tried to rid himself of the exhaustion that dealing with a newborn had brought him. Dominic had yet to sleep through an entire night, and it was seriously starting to affect both mother and father. Their relationship had been tense to say the least after the initial cute factor of having a baby had worn off. It didn't help that Happy had also taken to spending the night at the clubhouse occasionally in favor of going home. That fact was a constant ignition point for an argument, and Happy was left wondering what he had gotten himself in to.

He exited the bathroom finally and approached the bar, immediately being offered a drink by a grinning Tig. "Fatherhood's not all it's cracked up to be, huh, killer?"

"I'm so fucking tired," Happy replied, laying his head down on his arms on top of the bar. "The stupid kid won't sleep more than an hour before he starts screaming his damn head off again. Sounds just like his mother sometimes."

Clay and Bobby both gave a raucous laugh from their positions on the couch as Tig sat down next to his friend with a smirk. "I see you two are getting along nicely."

"Man, we're just both so out of our element. We don't know shit about taking care of a baby. Seems like we're doing everything wrong, then we just blame each other."

"Hey, if I can raise kids, then you sure as hell can. Not that I see mine much anymore, but they're still breathing, so that's gotta count for something." Happy gave a snort in response, taking a long drink from his beer bottle. "But the sex is still good though, right?"

"What sex? Haven't touched her in a month."

Tig choked on his beer, coughing as he patted his friend on the shoulder. "Tough break, man. There are some lovely ladies coming to the party-"

He was cut off when the door opened, Happy turning as the mother of his child walked in with Juice, both laden with boxes. "I'm serious, Mia," the mohawked prospect was saying. "I can totally watch my favorite nephew for the night if you want a break."

"You've never spent more than a couple of hours with him at a time. Staying with him the whole night is _completely_ different." She set the box down on a table and wandered over to Happy, a slight hesitation as she placed a kiss on his cheek. "Ain't that right, babe?"

He grunted his agreement, running a hand down her back as she stayed at his side. A wave of cheap perfume assaulted his nose, and his face scrunched up as he tried to place the familiar smell. "Where've you been?" Happy leaned closer to her, sniffing again and getting the same misplaced scent. "You stink."

"What are you, a bloodhound?" She asked sarcastically at his behavior, then took a second to sniff her clothing, reeling back as she caught the scent. "God, I do smell terrible."

"I think you smell nice," Juice added in with a smile, earning an eye roll from more than one of the room's occupants.

"Gemma asked me to pick up some stuff for the party tonight from Luanne at Cara Cara. I must have gotten porn star stink on me."

"Wait, what?" Happy asked, his eyes going dark.

Maria looked at him questioningly, wondering where this was going. "Gemma asked-"

"Yeah, yeah, I got that part." He wiped one hand over his head as the other went to brace himself against the bar. "You were at Cara Cara?"

She smiled slightly in response, noticing the quick shift in his mood, but unsure of the motives behind it. "Well, it's not like I ran into porn stars randomly on the streets of Charming."

"Don't be a smart ass." The intensity in his voice startled her, so much that she almost missed his next words. "Stay away from Cara Cara. I don't want you anywhere near that damn place."

Happy turned back towards the bar, quickly grabbing for his beer. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to steel himself for the words he knew were coming next.

"Excuse me?"

He turned his head to stare down the young Latina who was looking at him with a tired frustration. "You aren't allowed at Cara Cara. End of discussion."

"What part of this was a discussion? And who the hell are you to tell me what I'm _allowed_ to do?" She put her hands on her hips, watching as he continued to drink his beer in silence, trying to end the conversation there. The men in the clubhouse looked on as though they were watching animals at the zoo, fascinated and unable to tear their eyes away. When she received no response, she continued. "I get it. You don't want me running into your little flings, am I right?" He whirled around – an old lady mentioning out of town hook ups was completely off limits. "Can't let the baby mama and the mistresses meet, can you?"

"You shut your mouth," Happy said dangerously as his brothers looked on with smirks, knowing he'd been called out and finding it very entertaining. "What I do while I'm here is none of your damn business," he growled out, gesturing wildly at her as he took a step forward.

"None of my business? So you expect me to stay home and take care of your kid while you're out fucking porn star pussy? I don't think so, asshole!"

"That's your fucking place!" he roared, getting right into her face and causing her to take a step back. "You need to remember that."

Maria stared at him, eyes wide with shock as she tried to process what he'd just said. Happy stared down at her with a wild fury, too far gone with exhaustion and frustration to get a hold of his temper.

"My place?" she whispered harshly, trying to understand his thought process, then catching a glimpse of the words embroidered on his cut. "Oh, I see. Well ya know what," she closed the distance between them again, her voice quiet, but full of intent. "I don't give a damn if those patches on your chest say you're the president of the fucking United States. You. Don't. Own me."

"Oh shit..." Tig tried to cover a laugh, ignoring the seriousness of the situation in favor of enjoying the rare opportunity, while Juice stood beside him watching nervously.

"I tell you what to do, and you fucking do it. That's how it works." Happy towered over Maria, using their vast height difference as an added intimidation factor.

Maria's anger melted slightly into a look of utter disbelief. She knew the way an old lady was supposed to act around the club, but she'd never experienced anything like this in all her years around the Sons. Happy wasn't as into the role playing as much as some of the others. She shook her head, at a loss for what to say and too exhausted to fight anymore. "Fuck you and your chauvinist bullshit," she said wearily, before turning around and making for the door.

"Don't you fucking walk away from me!"

She kept walking and replied, "I'm tired, Hap. I'm not doing this with you."

He reached a hand out to grab her, flinging her around to face him. His grip tightened on her upper arm as she tried to break his hold. "I'm sick of you runnin' your fuckin' mouth like you own the place. You're a Goddamn old lady, so start acting like one!"

"I'll start acting like one when you start acting like a man! Help me raise our child and quit hiding out here like a little bitch!"

"Oh shit..." The humor in Tig's voice had disappeared completely. Happy wrapped his hand tightly around the back of Maria's neck and began to drag her down the hall towards the dorm room in the back.

"What the hell are you doing? Let go of me, asshole!" She tried to pry his hand away to no avail, a loud growl his only response to her clawing at his hand.

"Hap..." Juice was unsure what to do at that moment, torn between his best friend and his fragile position in the club. "Hap, c'mon man..."

"Shut the fuck up, Prospect!" the bald man yelled angrily over his shoulder, never breaking his stride. "Mind your own damn business!"

Juice stood utterly frozen, not used to that tone being directed at him. A hand on his shoulder ended any debate he had on going after them. "I know it's hard, but you just gotta let them work it out," Tig said quietly as he watched the pair disappear down the hall. The prospect opened his mouth to protest, but the older man shook his head. "It's their shit. They have to deal with it."

The couple arrived at the end of the hall, and Happy shoved her into the empty dorm room, slamming the door shut behind him so hard the hinges shook. Maria flinched as the sound reverberated through the room, turning hesitantly to see the tattooed man pacing like a caged animal in front of the only viable exit.

"What the hell, Hap?" she asked gently, trying to keep her voice low and calm as she watched his hands clench with unreleased tension. All of the anger had fled her body the second she realized that the man in front of her was no longer her lover, but the fierce Tacoma Vice President that got pleasure from taking people's lives. She wasn't sure when the switch had happened or what had caused it, but she just hoped he wasn't staying long. "Hap?"

"You shut the fuck up," he seethed, marching towards her with eyes as black as coal. She backed up until she hit the wall, but he continued on his path until he was mere inches in front of her. "How dare you disrespect me in this clubhouse, in front of other Sons no less!"

"Hap-"

"I said shut the fuck up!"

His hand swung out, catching the lamp on the desk next to them and sending it into the adjacent wall. She quickly turned her head the other way, cringing as it shattered into hundreds of pieces on the floor. Silence reigned as Maria finally got the courage to open her eyes again, staring up into an almost unrecognizable face and waiting for him to continue speaking.

"I've killed people for less than what you said to me out there." Happy's gaze flickered wildly around her face as though he were high on pills, hands balled into fists at his sides. "Your job is to take care of the damn kid, do what I say, and don't fuckin' talk back." He leaned down, their faces so close she had to crane her head back to meet his eyes. "So when I say you don't go to Cara Cara, you nod and smile, and that's the end of it." She nodded, willing to agree to just about anything at this point to escape the room. "And you better do something about that damn kid. He's driving me crazy."

"I'm trying. If you were home at night-"

"The fuck you need me for with Vegas hangin' around all the damn time?" Vegas' constant presence around Maria was always a point of argument for an angered Happy, the tiniest seed of doubt about their relationship at the back of his mind.

"He's just trying to help," she said beseechingly, trying not to drag the other man into the fight as well. When had this turned into allegations of cheating? She was trying desperately to keep up with his ever-changing train of thought, but it was a losing battle. "He knows how tired and clueless we are-"

"So what, now he's smarter than me? Knows more than I do? You just want me out of the way so you can shack up with him, is that right? This Goddamn kid probably isn't even mine!"

"Oh for heaven's sake-"

She was immediately cut off by a loud growl and a fist shoved right through the wall next to her head. Wide eyed, she stared up at the man as he took in ragged breaths, a wild and dangerous expression covering his face.

In the three years she had known him, Maria had only been genuinely afraid of Happy three times, one of those being the fateful afternoon in the Tacoma Auto parking lot when she had decided not to tell him she was pregnant.

But this was definitely number four.

He removed his fist from the gaping hole in the wall, the painful throb that he was all too acquainted with enveloping his hand. He was oblivious to everything except the blinding rage that had come from a long buildup of anger, frustration, and exhaustion. But even the wall of fury couldn't withstand the words that came next.

"Hap, you're really scaring me," Maria whispered quietly, eyes filled with tears threatening to spill over at the slightest push.

He stood quietly, contemplating the words he had heard only once before as they hit him right at the core.

"You should be scared," was his response, but it lacked the anger and intensity of the rest of the conversation. Now his tone was one of defeat and the underlying exhaustion that they both felt. "Get out of here." She stared at him dumbly, the sudden change in attitude the last thing she was expecting. "Now."

Maria required no more urging and fled the room, the sounds of smashing furniture meeting her ears the second she closed the door behind her. Taking no time to risk another encounter, she bolted down the hall and past the waiting stares of the Charming bikers, not even breaking her stride as Juice called out her name.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Intense, I know. And some of you might think both Happy and Maria are out of character. Hap blew up over nothing, Maria isn't nearly as feisty as she should be. They discuss it all more in the next chapter and that should make it a bit more clear, but it's a mix of exhaustion, frustration, and a lack of sex. Stick with it to the next chapter, it should all make sense in the end.


	2. It's Just You and Me

**Disclaimer: **We don't own Sons of Anarchy or anything related to it. Any characters you don't recognize are our own creations, and any resemblance to people living or dead is purely coincidental. We do not own any music used in this story. All music is credited as it is used. We make no profit from this.

**Author's Note: **Okay, hopefully this will make you guys happier with our favorite couple. Let us know what you think, and tell us what other one shots you'd like to see! What characters do you want more of – Tig, Kozik, Juice? Do you like them in Charming or Tacoma? Angst? Fluff? Action? Let us know!

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><p><strong>Like Ships in the Night<br>****Chapter 2: It's Just You and Me  
><strong>"_Turn the lights down low,  
><em>_Walk these halls alone.  
><em>_We can feel so far from so close.**"  
><strong>_- "Ships in the Night" by Mat Kearney

_**March 4th, 2003  
><strong>__**Charming, California**_

It was later in the evening when Maria found herself on the couch at Juice's apartment, Dominic happily situated in his baby toy-chair contraption. She decided to take her best friend up on his offer to watch the infant for the night, knowing someone else might have been more suitable, but feeling better knowing he was with family.

"Why don't you just stay here tonight," Juice suggested for the tenth time as he exited the bedroom looking less of a grease monkey than when he entered. "You don't have to go back to your place tonight."

"It's fine, Juice. Hap and I need to talk sooner rather than later."

"Yeah, well I don't like the kind of '_talking_' that involves you feeling the need to leave the baby with me." He gave her a knowing look as he carefully lifted his nephew from the chair.

"It's not like that, Carlos. I just don't know what kind of mood Hap will be in, assuming he even shows up at all. If it turns into another fight like today..." She paused, staring down at the hands in her lap. "I just don't want Dom to get upset. He doesn't need to see us arguing." Smiling at the baby cooing quietly in the arms of the man next to her, she reached a hand out to brush away the dark hair laying on his forehead.

Juice turned his attention from the boy to his friend, concern heavy in his eyes. "Don't let things get out of hand, you hear me? You call if you need me." She smiled in response and nodded, seemingly appeasing the man for a moment as he focused back on the kid in his lap. "He looks just like me." A giddy grin made its way to his face as he held the baby up closer to him so Maria could compare the two faces, eliciting a laugh and a shake of the head. "Can I give him a mohawk?"

Maria left the apartment a half hour later, resigned to the fate of having yet another confrontation with Happy. It's not exactly how she had imagined the first few months of being a mother to turn out. The stuff in the movies always pointed out all the excitement of being a first time mom – play dates, an endless line of fawning people, cute first times shared with a loving and supportive father.

All she seemed to be getting was multiple early morning wake up calls, constant crying, and an absentee partner.

As she arrived at their temporary Charming residence, she immediately noticed Happy's bike parked out front, indicating that he had in fact decided to come home for the night. Whether that was a good thing or not had yet to be determined. She took her time going up the single flight of stairs towards the Sons' apartment for out-of-towners, trying to prepare herself for the next round of what felt like World War Three.

How had they gotten to this point? The constant fighting had undone all of the hard work they'd put into their relationship after agreeing to try and raise the baby together. They had almost managed to get back to where they left off, albeit with the large addition of a child.

But as soon as Dominic had come into the picture, the dynamic between the two changed completely. No longer were they free to do what they wanted. The baby always came first. Their lack of knowledge on children led to short tempers and endless bickering. Not to mention an extreme lack of sleep, made worse for her when Happy didn't even bother to show up some nights.

At this point, she was just tired of it all. Tired of fighting, of not sleeping, of having no idea what she was doing.

Maria put the key in the lock and turned it slowly, unsure of what lay behind the door. She hoped Happy had gone straight to bed, and that they could avoid a sequel to the day's earlier events. But as her luck would have it, he was sitting at the table in the small kitchen, a half empty beer bottle in front of him. He turned his head slightly towards her as she shut the door behind her and stood awkwardly. She tried to pick up any hints as to his mood, but he had a blank, faraway expression set firmly on his face.

She placed her bag and keys down quietly on the side table, then slowly made her way to the threshold of the kitchen, stopping just shy of entering. Hands shoved in her back pockets, she looked to the floor saying the first thing that came to mind. "How's your hand?"

Flexing his fingers, he lifted it off the table and did a quick assessment. "Put some ice on it earlier. Think it'll be okay."

She nodded in response, and the silence echoed once again in the small kitchen. Rubbing her shoe distractedly against the linoleum floor, Maria tried again, hoping her suggestion wouldn't start a fight. "I was thinking of taking Dominic to visit your mom tomorrow. Figured she'd want to see him." When she got no reply, she continued. "Thought we might stay down there for a few days, give you a break-"

She was cut off as Happy jumped to his feet and shoved the chair across the room. Maria cringed as it banged against the cabinets, and she just hoped the neighbors here weren't as nosy as the ones at home. Taking a deep breath, she tried to brace herself for the fight that surprisingly never came.

Instead, Happy braced himself on the counter, head hung low as he shook it back and forth slowly. "After all the shit I said to you, the first two things out of your mouth are about how I'm doing and what I need." He gave a humorless laugh, then turned to face her, seeing the same exhaustion he was feeling mirrored on her face. "I'd take back today in a second if I could."

"I know."

"I didn't want you at Cara Cara because I know how bitchy those women can get. You don't need to deal with that kinda shit."

"If you'd said it like that, I would have agreed with you. Not exactly a place I want to spend my free time." She smiled slightly, trying to encourage him to continue talking. He didn't express how he was feeling very often, so she was going to jump on the chance to get what she could out of him now.

"I didn't mean for it to come out the way it did, obviously. You know I don't give a shit about all those old lady rules." Happy paused, trying to collect his thoughts into something that resembled a coherent sentence. "This baby is killing me. I feel like every time we finally figure something out, five more problems come out of nowhere."

"You lookin' to cash out?" she asked quietly, remembering their agreement many months ago that gave him the right to walk away at any time.

"We're barely getting by with this kid together. How you gonna do it alone?" She started to reply, but he cut her off with a wave of his hand. "I know, you've got friends, you've got V." Tensing up instantly, Maria hoped this conversation wasn't about to take a turn for the worst. "Relax, I know you guys aren't screwing around. He's got the hots for the chick at the store down the block." Another pause in his speech as he ran his hands over his face. "He just seems to be so much better with Dom than I am. He always knows how to handle the kid."

"That's because he has two nephews. He's had practice. But we'll figure it out. We always do."

"Yeah, but how long's it gonna take us? By the time we figure it out, this kid could be completely fucked up. I don't want to be the one to ruin him for life. I just... I feel so helpless when it comes to Dom, ya know? I don't want to let him down by being a shitty father." The utter lack of control over the whole situation was leaving him frustrated and at a loss of what to do next. He wasn't used to being at the mercy of someone else.

Any residual anger Maria felt for their earlier argument melted as she took in the image of her tired lover. Sure, she had known how much he was struggling with his new role as a father; she was having just as much trouble. But now, under the fluorescent lights in the tiny kitchen of their temporary apartment, she could see just how much wear and tear the past three months had had on him. He looked as if he'd aged ten years, his normally golden skin now pale and fatigued. His always passionate eyes lacked their usual spark, and she couldn't recall the last time she'd seen him smile.

Walking over to him, all hesitation erased from her steps, she wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him, sending him a loving smile as his hands automatically encircled her in response. "You're here. And you love him. And you're trying. That's all that matters." He opened his mouth to speak, but this time it was her that silenced him. "Dom is surrounded by people that love him. He's got more surrogate aunts and uncles than I can count. He can't turn out too bad. Besides, it'll get better. It has to. It really can't get any worse." This elicited a small smile from the man, a sight Maria was all too happy to see. "Donna and Gemma both offered to watch Dom while we got some adult time, just you and me. We could certainly use a few days for ourselves."

"Is there gonna be sex involved?" he asked bluntly, causing her to laugh as the old Happy started to shine through. "Cause I'm dyin' over here."

"Lots and lots of sex. And sleep."

"You know what I said about bangin' the chicks at Cara Cara was complete bullshit, right? I wouldn't do that to you."

"And you know that if you _do_ ever come home smelling like another woman, I'll knock your teeth down your throat, right? Old lady rules be damned."

Happy smiled, glad to see she hadn't lost the feisty nature that he loved so much. "Oh yeah? You and what army?" he growled playfully, his hands finding their way down her back to his favorite asset of hers.

"You don't think I could take you? I totally could. I'm very resourceful when I need to be."

"Is that right?" He lifted her up and turned them around, settling her on the counter as he stood between her knees. "Care to demonstrate?"

She rolled her eyes, but smiled nonetheless. "In the kitchen? Really?"

Happy snorted as he began to unbutton her shirt. "Not like we use it for anything else."

**END**


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